Three human rights defenders, Youseif Yagoub Ahmed (35), Mohamed Ibrahim Yahya (27)and Mohamed Eldai Musa (28) were killed in Jabal Moon, West Darfur of Sudan by armed militia, while they were doing an assessment on the human rights and humanitarian situation in West Darfur.
The three human rights defenders were members of Darfur Human Rights Monitors network, a network of human rights monitoring groups in the five states of Darfur.
On 5 of March armed militia attacked Karka, Um Kharoba and Um Jumina in West Darfur. The three human rights defenders were killed while travelling on a road in Jabal Moon near the attacked areas.
Youseif Yagoub Ahmed and Mohamed Eldai Musa were killed immediately after being shot by live bullets in the head and chest. Mohammed Ibrahim Yahya died the following day as a result of severe injuries to his chest due to the militia attacks.
As a consequence of the spread of militant groups in Darfur, human rights defenders and activists are in severe danger as a result of their work. The human rights situation in Darfur in general has deteriorated after the withdrawal of the United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) two years ago, following the termination of its mandate according to a UN Security Council resolution (2559/2020).
Front Line Defenders (FLD) condemns the murder of human rights defenders Youseif Yagoub Ahmed, Mohammed Ibrahim Yahya and Mohamed Eldai Musa as it believes they were killed as a result of witnessing the outbreak of a violent clash while they were carrying out their human rights work in West Darfur.
It expressed concern about the escalation of violence in West Darfur, and the dangerous context in which human rights defenders and civilians find themselves. It urged the Sudan authorities to immediately carry out an impartial and independent investigation into the murder of human rights defenders Youseif Yagoub, Mohammed Ibrahim Yahya and Mohamed Eldai Musa;
FLD asked to fully implement Sudan’s National Plan for the protection of civilians, and to restore public order and the rule of law in Darfur. It also sought to guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Sudan are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions.
